The Fool
by Someone aka Me
Summary: He never intended to fall for her. He can't really help it – she's pretty, clever. He expects to live with the heartbreak, because he's smart enough to know that she's taken. He doesn't expect her to sabotage him, take him in, lead him on, and then crush him. But that's what she does. And he still can't bring himself to hate her for it. Onesided Cormac/Hermione.


For the 2012 Hogwarts Games - Women's Football 1.3 - Hermione/McLaggen

Also for the Pairing Diversity Boot Camp - Prompt 2 - Whatever.

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AN: Um. Cormac seems to enjoy thinking in fragments. I claim no responsibility :D Also, please don't flame for any views expressed on characters. Cormac is vindictive and not likely to see certain people in a positive light.

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Cormac isn't as much of an idiot as he knows they all think he is.

Well, yeah, he does sort of fall for her on accident, at first. After all, she's pretty, now that her teeth have shrunk up a bit. And Cormac's always sort of had this thing for girls who can reel off big sentences full of complex words. He's not entirely certain he could explain why, but he finds it incredibly attractive.

Still, he isn't a complete fool. He sees the way she looks at Weasley. Weasley may be completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that she's in love with him – and, if Cormac's right (and he rather thinks he is), the fact that _he_ is in love with _her_ as well – but Cormac isn't so blind.

So, yeah, he falls for her, for her pretty face and her braininess. Bad luck for him. Hurts, doesn't it, to fall in love with the girl who's already taken? Everyone knows it – except, of course, oblivious Weasley. Still, sucks. Hurts like hell. Whatever. He can deal with it.

Then she has to go and make things complicated. He knows it was her – it had to have been. He doesn't miss the Quaffle, not like that, not unless he's been spelled. Granger was the only one who both _would_ have done it _and could _have done it. Confundus Charm, most likely.

With that one charm, she _ruined _his chances at Gryffindor Keeper. Gave it to _Weasley_, of all people – the boy with no talent, who gets by because of his famous friend. Who got that spot because _Potter_ was Captain.

So why the bloody hell can't he hate her for it?

By all rights, he should. It isn't fair, what she did. It isn't allowed, isn't _right._ He could say something, tell someone, get a retry. But he won't, because… He's not even sure why. Because… because it's _her_.

That scares him a little bit.

He harbors this stupid… _crush_ of his for a long time without saying anything. He won't say a word. She doesn't need to know, because it won't change a thing. There's no point, and he doesn't need Weasley witness to his humiliation.

Then she changes the whole game.

"Cormac!"

He spins around at the sound of her voice. She's smiling at him – a soft, fond smile that he's never seen directed at him before.

"Hi," she breathes.

"Hello, Hermione!" He grins at her.

"Could I ask you something?" Something in her tone feels… strange… to him, but he shrugs it off, nodding.

"Sure."

"Would you… would you like to attend Slughorn's Christmas party with me?"

And he cannot think of anything else but the fact that this is _her_, _Hermione Granger_, asking _him._

"I… I'd love to." He barely manages to keep his tone calm.

She smiles genuinely. "Good."

"I'll pick you up at 7, then? Gryffindor Common Room?"

She nods and turns, walking off, but before she vanishes around the corner, she turns and waves. Cormac knows the smile that spreads across his lips is a bit stupid, but he can't care.

It scares him how easily he forgets that she's head over heels for Weasley. How easily he is taken in by her easy smile and her pretty face.

He falls for it in the same way he's fallen for her.

He tries to put his best foot forward, show her, tell her, about the best of him, but it doesn't take him long, at the party, to realise that she only asked him to make Weasley jealous. She doesn't care about him at all – worse, even, she seems to be purposely avoiding him.

Maybe he is as much of an idiot as they think he is.

He plasters on a grin and talks as loudly as ever and pretends that it's all okay, but inside he's breaking.


End file.
